Back in the Atmosphere
by feedtheworld07
Summary: And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?


**DISCLAIMER: DON'T OWN SONG(S) or KIDS NEXT DOOR or WHATEVER I MADE A REFERENCE TO.**

There are many ways you can ruin a summer for Nigel Uno. One of them was that he wouldn't see his best friend, Rachel McKenzie, for the whole 3-months vacation. She was going to Mexico with her family and Fanny Fulbright.

Besides the fact that Rachel was his best friend, he was gonna miss her for another reason.

It was because he was in love with her.

Now if you knew Nigel, you would know that he was a very rational person who never jumped into anything. Especially when it came to his own feelings. So when he says he's in love with someone...he means it.

And he was no way in hell gonna ask Rachel to stay; I mean as far as he was concerned they were just friends and it was a chance that Rachel might never get again, considering this is the summer of their junior year. Which meant next year, they would be too worried about college and all that shit.

Also, Rachel was one of those people who didn't know what she wanted to do with her life and she thought Mexico would help. She needed to find herself and Nigel understood that, but he was gonna miss her.

.....

_Now that shes back in the atmosphere  
With drops of Jupiter in her hair.  
_

One week. And his senior year would start. Not only was 17 year old Nigel Uno excited for that. Today his best friend was coming home. She was gonna walk through his house doors any minute now. And he sure as hell missed that.

He waited for about....10 minutes and she came in.

"NIGEL! GUESS WHO'S HOME?!"

Nigel jumped out of his bed and ran out of his room and he saw her smiling at him.

She ran into him and wrapped her arms around his waist, buried her head into his chest. Nigel grabbed her head, and felt something peculiar. It was....sand?

He flicked it off and asked, "Did ya not shower or something?"

She hit him after she let go, "I thought I did."

"Ew."

"Shut up," She smiled, "We can't all be pretty boys like you, Nigel."

He chuckled.

"You wanna take a walk?"

He gave her, one of his famous, 'Are you serious look?', "Aren't you tired? You got home like, what, 30 minutes ago?"

She shook her head, "I haven't see you in months. You're way more important than rest."

Nigel shrugged, "Whatever you want."

_She acts like summer and walks like rain  
Reminds me that there's time to change.  
Since the return from her stay on the moon  
She listens like spring and she talks like June._

On there walk to who knows where, Nigel noticed just how much his friend has changed. And it wasn't because of her tan.

To anyone who didn't know Rachel, they would say she was confident and so sure of herself. But Nigel knew better. He noticed her insecurities when she walked. A little hunched over, but you would never notice it unless you looked very carefully. Rachel also took very small steps, like she was going nowhere and she wasn't planning to get there anytime soon.

But that wasn't what changed...it was she showed her insecurities more, in her face.

Her mouth was as flat as a line, no curving. She had her hands in her pockets and remained silent.

Nigel decided to break this silence, "So guess what happened while you were gone?"

"What?"

"I got into a new band." It seemed like no big deal to an average person.

But to Rachel it was, "Really? I didn't really get into much music this summer. I mean I had my zune and all, but yeah..but I di-didn't get on the Internet that much or talk to my sources at all. I was outside a lot. So what band?"

He chuckled at her rambling, "You know how you've been trying to get me to listen to The Cure?"

Her smile got bigger once he said The Cure. That was her all time favorite band, "Yeah?"

"I fell in love with them."

Her grin now went form ear to ear and she squealed, "OH MY GOD! I TOLD YOU! You never listen to me, when it comes to music. What changed?"

Nigel shrugged and put his arm around her, "You wanna go to my house? I don't want you to create a scene."

Rachel leaned her head on his shoulder, "Sure."

Truth is, Nigel only listened to The Cure because when he did he felt closer to her. And that's why he fell in love with them.

_Tell me did you sail across the sun?  
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded,  
And that heaven is overrated?  
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?  
One without a permanent scar,  
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there?_

As they headed back, Nigel asked all about her trip.

She talked the rest of the time.

"Fanny and I learned how to sail," She began, "Cute instructor."

Nigel rolled his eyes.

Rachel hit him playfully, "He was! So that was a for a couple weeks and then we went on our own. Then at nights," She paused for a second, "...I snuck out. Don't tell Fanny. And I went to the beach and watched hundreds of stars."

"That must have been beautiful," Nigel commented.

She nodded, "It was. I was out there for hours...and then when everything started to fade. I thought about my faith. God and Jesus and all that," She paused again, "....and I think the whole concept is too overrated."

"You know I'm a believer in science," He shrugged, "I couldn't care less."

She frowned, "I'm not worried about you. It's Fanny. But if she can't except me for that, then she isn't much of a friend, right?"

Nigel nodded, "So tell me what else you saw."

Rachel smiled again, "The last time I snuck out. I saw a shooting star; it was bald and beautiful. Like you."

He pushed her playfully.

"I'm serious!" She exclaimed, "It was!"

"Did ya make a wish?" Nigel asked.

She nodded.

"What was it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't come true."

"So it hasn't come true yet?"

She shook her head.

"Is it a long term wish?"

She stayed silent for a minute and looked up and the blue sky, "No. I wish it would come true right now."

_Now that shes back from that soul vacation  
Tracing her way through the constellation.  
She checks out Mozart while she does Tae-Bo  
Reminds me that there's room to grow.  
_

Back in Nigel's house, Mr. Uno greeted Rachel with a giant hug and told her how much he missed her. Rachel hugged him back and told him the same thing and she meant it.

They went upstairs to the den where Rachel put on some Classical music and started moving around throwing kicks and punches like she was in some exercise video.

Nigel laughed, "How do you have so much energy? And what's with the Mozart?"

"This is, like, where it began!" She exclaimed, while continuing to do what she was doing, "I mean listen to this!"

Nigel shook his head, "It's still not exercise music."

"Try it."

Nigel continued to shake his head.

She grabbed his hand and made him move around a little. Soon Nigel was too happy to care and began to dance just as Rachel was. It was in that moment where it felt like she never left and they traveled back in time.

Though Rachel was tired; to the point in which she passed out on Nigel's couch right as they were resting.

Her head was on his shoulder. He was being extra careful with her, pulling out all the sand off her head and he noticed then how long her hair has gotten.

_Now that shes back in the atmosphere  
I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol' jane,  
told a story about a man who is too afraid, to fly so he never did land  
_

During her nap, Nigel began to think about how beautiful Rachel looked. And how much she had grown this summer. In more ways then one...some of them physically, if you catch my drift.

And maybe, he wasn't good enough for her anymore. Or maybe he never was. I mean he read once, 'We accept the love we think we deserve,' and he hasn't told Rachel about his feelings. So maybe he didn't deserve them.

He's probably too ordinary for her. Too plain, like a bagel with out cream cheese. He was even BALD.

And she was amazing.

With her long, blonde hair and brown eyes. Her laugh is like a song, her smile is angel-worthy. She could run circles around anyone and he can't even go up to someone. She's everything he's not.

Though he doesn't realize that he's everything she's not.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet?  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day,  
And head back to the milky way?  
And tell me, did Venus blow your mind?  
Was it everything you wanted to find,  
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there?_

About a half an hour later, Rachel woke up...on Nigel's couch. She looked around for him and didn't see him anywhere in the room.

"Hey."

She looked over and yawned, "Hey Nigel. Sorry. I guess I was tired."

"Figured. It probably was busy trip."

Rachel nodded, "You should've been there," She sat up and Nigel took a seat next to her, "You would've kept me company. There was this one night when Fanny and I went to this club, sort of thing, and I danced all night. Just by myself."

Nigel looked at her questioningly, "No guy swept you off you feet?"

She shook her head, "None of them were the guy though."

"You like some one?"

Rachel smirked, "Do I like someone? Yes. I like a lot of people. I may even love some of them."

He rolled his eyes, "Way to get out of it."

"I guess I wasn't stuck by the son of Aphrodite's arrow," She stated.

"Or maybe you already were."

"By who?"

"I don't know, you tell me."

He put her 2 palms in together and bowed slightly, "In time, young grasshopper."

Nigel pushed her causing her to fall over. Rachel laughed, "You're not supposed to do that to girls."

"Well that would require you being a girl," Nigel teased. It was Rachel's turn to push him. He laughed, "You're so mean."

"You can dish it but you can't take it, huh Nigel?"

_Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken?  
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know you're wrong?  
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance, five-hour phone conversation?  
The best soy latte that you ever had and me?  
_  
"Speaking of dish," He began, "Remember our first job?"

"Ewww.." Rachel groaned, "That made me almost turn vegan."

"Yeah I know," Nigel agreed, "That was the worst job forever."

"Why did we do it?"

He shrugged, "Desperate and need money."

"Speaking of memories," Rachel started, "Remember that time where that bitch Desiree was calling me fat? And you stood up for me, even though you hated confrontation?"

He nodded, "I had to be there for you Rachel. I always will be."

She grinned, "Like our first dance, first boyfriends and or girlfriends, and math homework, you talked to me on the phone for forever because of stupid Algebra."

"Like Conor Oberst sang," Nigel grinned, "'Baby don't worry. 'Cause now I got your back. And every time you feel like crying, I'm gonna try and make you laugh."

She loved it when he made song references. Really when anyone did it, but especially Nigel. For reasons you all know(coughshe'sinlovewithhimcough).

"Or how about that soy latte?" He brought up.

She scrunched up her face, "That was gross."

"I thought it was the best."

"Well you know I hate coffee."

He nodded, "Come on. Let's get you home. You look dead."

She got up from the couch, "Can we walk there? I think I can make it."

"And if not I'll carry you," He smiled.

"What would I ever do with out you?"

That made him laugh. She did as well.

_Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet?  
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day,  
And head back toward the milky way?  
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star?  
One without a permanent scar,  
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there?  
_

"So did you miss me?" He asked, as they were walking to her house.

"Very much."

She grabbed his hand and leaned into his arm as she said those words.

Both their hearts skipped a beat; in their head thinking, _Maybe tomorrow._


End file.
